AUTHORIZED REMOTE ACCESS TO AN OPERATING SYSTEM HOSTED BY A VIRTUAL MACHINE

• US 20150082409A1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HOGG, ANTHONY B., Jenkin, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

Proposed is a concept for providing authorized remote access to an operating system hosted by a virtual machine. first and second authentication tokens are generated at a client system and communication to a server system providing the virtual machine. the validity of the first and second authentication tokens is verified at the server system. if the validity of the first authentication token is verified, the operating system is shut-down. then, if the validity of the second authentication token is verified, the operating system is re-started.

Claims

1. A method for providing authorized remote access to initial program load, IPL, an operating system hosted by a virtual machine, VM, the method comprising:

receiving, at a client system, a request for an IPL of an operating system hosted by a VM, the VM being provided by a server system;

generating, at the client system, a first authentication token and a shut-down instruction for shutting down the operating system;

communicating the first authentication token and the shut-down instruction to the server system;

at the server system, verifying that the first authentication token is valid and, if valid, executing the shut-down instruction on the server system to shut-down the operating system;

generating, at the client system, a second authentication token and an IPL instruction for the operating system;

communicating the second authentication token and the IPL instruction to the server; and

at the server system, verifying that the second authentication token is valid and, if valid, executing the IPL instruction on the server to re-start the operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, prior to generating a second authentication token and an IPL instruction for the operating system, monitoring the operating system to determine when the operating system is completely shut-down.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the shut-down instruction further comprises at least one of:

an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IPL instruction further comprises at least one of:

an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first authentication token; and

the second authentication token is generated based on at least one of;

the received request for an IPL; and

authentication information provided by the client system or a user of the client system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first authentication token; and

the second authentication token comprises a one-time use pass key adapted to be rendered invalid when its validity has been checked.

7. A computer program product for providing authorized remote access to an operating system hosted by a VM, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured to perform all of the steps of claim 1.

8. A computer system comprising:

a computer program product according to claim 7; and

one or more processors adapted to perform all of the steps of claim 1.

9. A client system for providing authorized remote access to an operating system hosted by a VM of a server system, the client system comprising:

IPL request unit adapted to receive a request for an IPL of an operating system hosted by the VM, to generate a first authentication token and a shut-down instruction for shutting down the operating system, and to generate a second authentication token and an IPL instruction for re-starting the operating system; and

a communication interface adapted to communicate the first authentication token and the shut-down instruction to the server system, and to communicate the second authentication token and the IPL instruction to the server.

10. The client system of claim 9, wherein the client system is adapted to monitor the operating system to determine when the operating system is completely shut-down.

and wherein the communication interface is adapted to communicate the second authentication token and the IPL instruction to the server after it has been determined that the operating system is completely shut-down.

11. The client system of claim 9, wherein at least one of:

the shut-down instruction; and

the IPL instruction further comprises at least one of;

an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system.

12. The client system of any of claim 9, wherein the IPL request module is adapted to generate at least one of:

the first authentication token; and

the second authentication token is based on at least one of;

the received request for an IPL; and

authentication information provided by the client system or a user of the client system.

13. A server system for providing authorized remote access to an operating system hosted by a VM of the server system, the client system comprising:

a communication interface adapted to receive, from a client system, a first authentication token and a shut-down instruction for shutting down the operating system, and to receive, from the client system, a second authentication token and an IPL instruction for re-starting the operating system;

a verification unit adapted to verify that the first authentication token is valid and to verify that the second authentication token is valid; and

a processor adapted to execute the shut-down instruction on the server system to shut-down the operating system if the verification unit verifies that the first authentication token is valid, and to execute the IPL instruction to re-start the operating system if the verification unit verifies that the second authentication token is valid.

14. The server system of claim 13, wherein the shut-down instruction further comprises at least one of:

an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system,

and wherein the verification unit is adapted to verify that the first authentication token is valid based on at least one of an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system.

15. The server system of claim 13, wherein the IPL instruction further comprises at least one of:

an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system,

and wherein the verification unit is adapted to verify that the second authentication token is valid based on at least one of;

an identification of a user of the client system; and

an identification of the operating system.